ANOTHER TIGHT GAME LEAVES 2's SMARTING

A change of tactics, a new way forward and a much improved performance, but the same story of the season unfolded. Tight match, missed chances & mistakes punished. BOE raced out of the blocks and registered 3 fairly inept short corner attempts before Cliftonville took the lead with a fortuitous ball in and a hint of back stick in the finish. BOE were up against it. 15 minutes in and the same thing would happen, slightly over keen defending allowing the opposition round the back and 2-0 down with BOE having all the play.

Something had to give and a neat PC move saw Andy Slack tip in from a Prem Marwaha cross and within moments Edd Thorogood equalised after superb work from The Wizard (Slacky) and Manraj Gill. It was 2-2 with 25 mins played. BOE stayed on top and a low drag flick from the skipper saw the ball cannon into the Cliftonville post mans shin Result:. Long corner given with Umpires unsighted! And just to make things worse, 2 minutes later, Cliftonville went 3-2 up after an air shot in the D left Eddie Forshaw painfully counting his onions as the ball was pushed past a BOE defence up in arms, surely the Ville umpire saw it, surely not.

3-2 down at half time and BOE had had most of the play. It would be the home side again that dominated with a number of corners resulting in no shot on goal or a goal itself, time was slipping away from the 2's. But a sharp bit of play by Mike Wickenden and Ed Bull saw Edd Thorogood slot in an equaliser and the game was there for the taking. Another suspect foot in the D went amiss and as BOE pushed, Ville broke forwards. After a stunning save from Nathan Bullens, luck would be right against the lads as a lucky 1 in a 100 reverse volley somehow made its way into the goal past a diving Bullens. Damn!!!

The lads are playing better and with four 1st XI's ahead of them, it's a tough league. Big games are coming up where points need to be secured. This young side are doing well but they must start taking their chances.